Gemstone of the Month: Tsavorite

Tsavorite is a gorgeously green variety of garnet. It is relatively new to the jewellery world and was discovered for the first time in 1967 by a British geologist and gem hunter prospecting in the Tanzanian mountains.

Though the gem sparked a lot of interest in the mineral community, it wasn't until the iconic jewellery company Tiffany and Co started celebrating the gem in 1974 that it began to enjoy a more widespread appeal.

The gem actually has Tiffany and Co to thank for its name, too. Tsavorite was chosen in honour of the Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, which is where large deposits of the gem have been found.

Though tsavorite has a similarly rich hue to emerald, there are some notable differences. You may be surprised to learn that tsavorite is actually known for having fewer flaws and inclusions than emerald.

Worn best with…

The beautifully bold colour of tsavorite makes it a natural statement piece. We think it works well with silver toned metals, though it can also look fabulous with yellow gold.

Tsavorite works wonderfully as an accent to a mainly neutral toned outfit. However, it can also more than hold it’s own against other jewel tones!

Famous Tsavorite…

Tsarvorite is a rare gem mined in only a few parts of the world. It’s particularly unusual to find gems of over a few carats, but this has happened.

In fact, the largest tsarvorite found to date was in 2006, when a 925 carat crystal was found. From this, an oval mixed-cut 325 carat stone was cut, which is believed to be the largest faceted tsarvorite in the world.

More inspiration…

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